Devices and methods to improve driver safety are continuously developed to counter perceivable risks of driving. Vehicle rollover during turning is one risk that has not been adequately addressed. Rollover of a vehicle occurs when lateral acceleration due to turning causes a center of gravity (CG) of the vehicle to extend past the road-contacting tires. Once the tires on the inside of the vehicle turn path depart from the road surface, the ability to take corrective action to prevent further vehicle roll is greatly reduced.
The susceptibility of vehicles to rolling over is related to the location of the center of gravity of the vehicle in relation to the tires. Wheel departure occurs when the force of gravity acting to keep tires of a vehicle on the road is overcome by a lateral force acting on the vehicle while turning. This lateral force creates a moment of inertia about the tires on the outside of the vehicle turn path. The angle made between a line passing through a tire and the center of gravity, and a vertical line through the center of gravity is determinative of how those forces contribute to the moment of inertia about the tires.
The higher the center of gravity is in relation to the road, the smaller the angle, and the less effect gravity has on the moment of inertia. Therefore, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles, and especially commercial trucking vehicles are more at risk of rollover than sedans and coupes, for example. Therefore, it is desirable for there to be a way to warn a driver of a potential rollover situation so that corrective action can be taken to prevent rollover.